Garment hanger



Dec. 9, 11952 B. E. LUNDMAN 2,620,954

GARMENT HANGER Filed Aug. 15, 1950 INVENTOR. -15. E. L UNDMA N /%QrK-MMJ HTTORNEVS.

Patented Dec. 9, 1952 GARMENT HANGER Ben E. Lundman, Mount Vernon, Wash.

Application August 15, 1950, Serial No. 179,440

Claims.

This invention relates to garment hangers and has reference more particularly to hangers for the orderly hanging of skirts, trousers'and the like; it being the principal object of the inventicn to provide an adjustable garment hanger, adapted to securely hold or suspend a skirt, and the like, in a natural, unfolded condition, to avoid its becoming wrinkled or out of shape when not being worn.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garment hanger which is readily adjustable for the hanging of skirts of various sizes, and which will securely retain the hanging garment in a definite manner.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a garment hanger from a single piece of wire, and which includes a means for adjusting it for size which is adjustable by means of one hand, leaving the other free for holding the hanger or garment.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a garment hanger of the above kind which is efiicient and effective in use, simple in design and construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects of the invention reside in the details of construction and combination of parts embodied in the device, in their relationship and mode of use as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a garment hanger of preferred form embodying the present invention, and illustrating in dotted lines, a portion of a skirt as applied to the hanger.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view, taken on line 22 in Fig. 1, illustrating the position of the adjusting ring.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a garment hanger of an alternative form of construction.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Garment hangers made of wire and of various kinds, for hanging skirts, trousers and the like, have been known and used for many years. However, most adjustable hangers for the present purpose have been relatively complicated in their construction and incidentally expensive to manufacture. In the present simplified form of hanger, I have provided a simple yet effective means for its adjustment to adapt it for suspending skirts of varying sizes, or apparel of other kinds, in unfolded, natural condition.

Referring first to the device shown in Fig. 1:

This hanger is made from a single piece of spring steel wire, which is so bent or formed as to provide two cooperating laterally spaced supports, that may be readily adjusted as may be desired or required, for hanging skirts of any particular or of varying sizes; these supports being adjusted and their adjusted relationship maintained by a relatively simple means as presently explained.

The device of Fig. 1 is designated in its entirety by reference numeral [0. The single length of wire from which it is made, is first bent upon itself at a point exactly mid-way of its ends. This bend is designated at I l in Fig. 1. Then the double portion that is immediately adjacent this bend is formed into a downwardly opening hook portion 12; this hook being of a size suitable for application over a rod or other form of support for suspending the hanger.

From the lower end of the hook shank, the two branches of Wire diverge laterally and downwardly in the vertical plane of the hook portion, and each of these diverging portions, here designated at l3l3, are bent in zig-zag manner to form it into a succession of steps, each step defining a notch I4 for the seating of the hanger adjusting ring therein as presently explained.

The length of the portions l3l3 may vary as desired or required and as will be presently understood, the extent of expandability of the hanger is determined by the length and angle of divergence of these portions. The number and relative position of the notches in one portion is substantially the same as in the other.

From the lower ends of the two diverging parts I3-l3, the branches of the wire are bent back into cross relationship, and these end portions extend equally and substantially to opposite sides of the vertical line of the hook as laterally diverging arms I5|5, continuing in a downwardly curved direction to provide a spread suitable for the intended use. At their outer ends, these arms terminate in substantially vertical downwardly directed portions l5a:l5:c, and these end in a closed curl Hi to avoid their catching or tearing in a supported garment.

It is to be understood that such hangers would be substantially of the same size as the usual types, and symmetrically formed. All parts lie substantially in the same vertical plane. Preferably the various parts would have the proportionate sizes in which they are illustrated, but these proportions might be changed to some extent without departing from. the spirit of the invention.

The spring tension of the formed hanger as above described. is such that there is a normal tendency of the diverging parts l3l 3 to spread apart, thus to retract the arms l5-l5 to a minimum spread, which would be spread slightly less than required for the support of garments of ordinary size. Therefore, it is necessary that means be provided to adjust the spread of the arms to adapt them for the support of garments of various sizes. This adjustment of the hanger is made and retained by the following means:

Applied about the diverging portions [3-13 of the hanger is a flattened Wire loop 29. This has a length that is such that, as the ring is shifted downwardly from the upper ends of the parts 13-43, these parts will be drawn toward each other, thus to extend the arms |5--l5 accordingly. The seating of the ends of the ring in the successive notches of the parts l3-l 3 will retain the arms l5l5 and the positions of adjustment to which they are thus brought. The tension as applied to parts l3l3 tends to move them apart to a maximum extent, and this tension is such as to hold the adjusting ring securely seated in any of the notches M with which it is engaged.

Assuming the hanger of Fig. 1 to be so constructed, its manner of use for the hanging of a skirt or the like is as follows:

First the parts l5r-I 5:0 of the two arms [5-15 are applied within the Waistband of the skirt as indicated in Fig. 1 wherein the upper portion of the skirt is shown in dotted lines at 33, and the waist band at 3 Then while holding the hanger in one hand by grasping the hook l2, the parts l3 -l3 are pressed together by use of the other hand, thus to engage the parts, war-I51 with the skirt band and place the arms I5l5 under substantial spreading tension, then the ring 20 is adjusted downwardly along the parts l3|3 and seated in notches thereof to retain the adjustment. The ring ends of the parts F5C-I5JJ provide additional supporting effect and prevents the skirt slipping down. To release the. skirt, the wire ring is merely slipped upward along the parts l3 -l3, allowing the arms l 5l5 to retract.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a garment hanger of an alternative form made from two pieces of wire. One wire is bent upon itself at a point midway of its ends, as at 40, then the parallel parts are formed into a hook 42. At the lower end of the hook, the wires diverge laterally and downwardly, and then continue as outwardly and downwardly curved arms s t-M which terminate in open loops 45 from which vertical, downwardly directed legs 44:c.-44a: extend. Ehese legs terminate in the closed ring curls 56.

Extended between the loops 45 of the two arms 44-44, is a spreader rod 48. This is made from a doubled and twisted wire. One end of the doubled wire is applied pivotally to the loops 45 of one arm 44, and the other end of the wire is passed through the open loop 45 of the other arm. This end of the spreader is formed with a succession of spaced, downwardly directed legs 49 adapted to engage with the bottom of the loop to retain the legs 44:I:44x at any spread to which they may be adjusted; it being understood that it is the natural tendency of the arms 45-45 to spring toward each other. The mode of application of this device is to first insert the legs 44:r44:c within the skirt waist band, then to spread the arms 44-44 to engage the legs 44a: tightly with the waist band and then to secure the adjustment by a proper setting of the spreader rod 48.

Devices of this kind are easy to apply and effective and efiicient in use. The adjustment required to adapt a hanger to garments of various size is easily made and will be securely held until manually released. The construction is relatively simple and inexpensive.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A garment hanger comprising a single piece of resilient wire, doubled upon itself at a point midway of its ends, and the parts thereof immediately adjacent the bend being curved to form a supporting hook for the hanger; said parts continuing downwardly from the hook as laterally diverging legs, each bent in zig-zag fashion to provide a succession of notches, and said parts being bent at the lower ends of said diverging legs into crossed relationship and extended laterally beyond the crossing point to co-operate for the support of a garment; said wire being bent to establish a normal angle of divergence of the notched legs and the minimum spread of the arms, and a collar applied about the said notched diverging leg portions and adjustable downwardly therealong, to seat in the various notches, thus to draw the legs together and to increase the spread of said arms in accordance with the extent of downward adjustment.

2. A hanger as in claim 1 wherein the arms terminate in substantially vertically directed leg portions.

3. A hanger as in claim 1, wherein the hook portion, the diverging legs and the said arms lie substantially in the same vertical plane.

4. A garment hanger comprising a piece of resilient wire, doubled upon itself at a medial point and bent to provide a supporting hook, a pair of diverging legs continuing from the base of the hook and bent at their lower ends to extend laterally in crossed relationship and beyond the crossing point to provide cooperating arms for the support of a garment, and means applied about the legs and adjustable therealong to regulate the spread of the arms.

5. A garment hanger comprising a single piece of resilient wire, doubled upon itself at a point midway of its ends, and the parts thereof immediately adjacent the bend being curved to form a supporting hook for the hanger; said parts continuing downwardly from the hook as laterally diverging legs, each bent in zig-zag fashion to provide a succession of notches, and said parts being bent at the lower ends of said diverging legs to extend laterally in crossed relationship and beyond the crossing point to provide coopcrating arms for the support of a garment, and a loop applied about the said notched diverging leg portions, and adjustable therealong to establish their angle of divergence and thereby control the spread of said cooperating arms.

BEN E. LUNDMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,003,039 Dixon Sept. 12, 1911 1,897,078 Sjowall Feb. 14, 1933 2,109,58 Case Mar. 1, 1938 2,411,466 Robey Nov. 19, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,732 Great Britain Mar. 12, 1892 

